Your Thanksgiving Turkey Could Be More Expensive This Year. And It's Not Just Because of Bird Flu.

By Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval

An average 15-pound turkey could cost around $30 this Thanksgiving, according to an analysis from Purdue University.

That’s a 75% price increase since October 2024—a reversal from the relatively low prices of previous years. But why?

“Around this time of year, we typically see some price change,” said Caitlinn Hubbell, a researcher at Purdue who co-authored the analysis. “But right now, we're seeing higher feed costs.”

Hubbell said animal feed often makes up 60-70% of a producer’s operating costs. While each farmer has their own special feed mixture, usually prepared by a nutritionist, most include minerals, vitamins and other ingredients imported from abroad. Those ingredients have recently been hit by tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration.